Preparing 30 tonnes of food for 1,250 troops is like going to the gym, says military chef
More than 2,600 personnel and 730 vehicles are taking part in Nato's Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 in Europe.
In a video posted online military chefs explain how Nato troops are being kept sufficiently fed and watered during their deployment and outline some of the challenges they face.
Staff Sergeant Anthony of the Royal Logistic Corps and attached to 4 Scots says that he receives around 30 tonnes of rations to prepare each week and his kitchen manager says that stirring the big pots of food is "like going to the gym".
The 1st Division is currently leading the largest UK contribution to Nato's Exercise Steadfast Dart 25, with more than 2,600 personnel and 730 vehicles to the alliance's eastern flank.
SSgt Anthony is the unit catering manager and says "to feed 1,250 troops, I get a ration delivery once a week, which normally consists of about 30 tonnes of food that's split between dry, frozen and fresh".
He went on to say that he enjoys being able to produce food outdoors in field kitchens as his chefs "are able to experiment more, have more freedom" in what they rustle up for the hundreds of hungry mouths.
He added: "Because of the nature of the exercise and the weather being cold, we have to give the troops 3,600 calories a day and that will split up between three meals a day."
He says that there is no room for poor hygiene standards and military chefs must adhere to the same health and safety and food hygiene standards as they do in barracks.
"We follow very high standards, making sure that hygiene and health and safety is followed to the T.
"I heavily rely on my senior ranks and my corporal NCOs. They're in charge of the running of the kitchen, making sure that paperwork is being followed, recipes are being followed," the RLC staff sergeant said.
Sergeant Tavaita, who is the field kitchen manager, says "as long as you have the right equipment and you have the right people who are willing to work, everything is easy".
She goes on to say that for making great dishes for the troops "all you have to do is just work together, like what we are doing now".
Sgt Tavaita says preparing the three set meals for such a large group is hard work and "it's like going to the gym instead of going to the gym to do some weights – you are there stirring the pots, so it is good".
Scheduled to take place in Romania and Bulgaria, Exercise Steadfast Dart 25 aims to practice the deployment of Nato's new Allied Reaction Force.
Join Our Newsletter
